WORKERS at Bentley's famous Pym's Lane plant in Crewe are rolling back the years as the company's latest super-car takes shape.

The new four-seater Azure Convertible, which has a price tag of £250,000, will have its pre-production launch in Frankfurt later this month.

It is being billed as the latest in a long line of breathtaking luxury coupés which have been built at Crewe over the years.

Unlike the popular GT Continental 'Baby Bentley' series, part-produced in Germany, the town's skilled workforce have designed and manufactured the new Azure in its entirety - testament to the wealth of expertise and experience they possess.

It is reminiscent of the firm's 1950s hey-day, when workers in Crewe, in many cases the grandfathers of today's staff, conjured up the classic Park Ward S1 Drophead Coupé, the inspiration for the Azure range.

And in reviving the Azure tag itself, which first appeared in 1995 when the firm launched the world's fastest

four-door convertible, company bosses have reminded potential buyers that the traditions of excellence are very much alive and well.

Sales and marketing director, Adrian Hallmark, said: 'We have been inundated with demand for a new Azure virtually from the moment the original model ceased production.

'The exclusivity, style, luxury and performance of the new Bentley convertible flagship evoke the Riviera lifestyle like no other, fully justifying the revival of the Azure name.'

Details of availability and pricing will not be confirmed until after the pre-production launch, but enthusiasts can expect an official release sometime in the spring of next year, with a price somewhere in the £250,000 range.

With each car taking nearly 700 man hours to assemble by hand from more than 650 individual panels, it is certainly a vehicle aimed at only the most discerning buyer.

But the firm is hopeful its new flagship range will prove to be a big hit, having caused a stir when its prototype, the Arnage Drophead Coupé, was unveiled in Los Angeles in January.